Page 41 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

I grabbed the box in the passenger seat, slammed the door, and continued on my way, determined to sort all of this out and spend my day the way I’d planned.

CHAPTER 16

HAVEN

My phone buzzed against the wooden floor near the mirror of the dance studio. Again. I’d lost track of how many times I’d heard it go off.

I knew who it was. A small twinge of guilt flickered through me as I ignored it, but I kept at my cool-down stretches without moving to check it, and pushed the negative feeling to the side.

I was alone in the studio. Class was over, and the few dancers who had attended had already left, making their way back to their apartments or heading out for a late breakfast with other members of the company.

They had extended a courtesy invitation to me, as always, and as always, I turned it down.

I didn’t come to California to make friends. I came to dance, to improve, to boost my chances of becoming a principal somewhere, eventually. Plus, forging connections and making friends remained hard for me, even as an adult. It didn’t help that the one and only friend I’d made as a child had hurt me, kicking me when I was already down.

I swallowed back my anger and grabbed my things, heading out of the studio without even taking my ballet shoes off. This was the last class for this pair anyway, since they were now broken through, so I didn’t care if they got ruined by the cement.

I knew I should feel bad about standing Wesley up, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Once the shock of seeing him wore off, I remembered. I remembered that man had once been the boy I thought was my friend. I remembered how I had reached out to him when the dust had settled, and he’d shut me out. Given me the cold shoulder.

I owed him nothing. Least of all a cup of coffee at a cafe, where I’d have to sit across from him at a tiny, intimate table and stare at his handsome face and listen to his deep voice the whole time. No. That would not happen.

Because, as angry as I was, I also couldn’t deny the instant attraction I’d felt when my eyes landed on him. Or the way my body responded when he grabbed my hand. Or how my core had clenched when my eyes landed on his biceps, straining against the sleeves of his T-shirt. Or…

“Oh my god, stop it, Haven,” I muttered under my breath, adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder. “He’s an ass. He proved that to you eleven years ago.”

I stopped when I reached the door of our apartment building, and played with my keys for a second, biting my lip as I glanced down the street. I could just pop down there for a minute, tell him what I really thought of him, and then…

I shook my head and opened the door to the building, then headed up the stairs.

The sound of raised voices greeted me—Maya’s higher-pitched mezzo voice overlapping with a deep, growly baritone. A voice I had heard only once, but I knew without a doubt who it belonged to.

Wesley fucking Stone.

I squared my shoulders and turned the corner as he said, “Just let me talk to her, Maya.”

“For the millionth time. If she was here, I would let you,” Maya retorted, her arms spread in the doorway to block Wesley from entering.

At his feet was a small brown box, and his hands rested on his hips, his hair slightly tousled, and his face wearing a scowl.

I’m not sure how he knew I was there, but he turned to look at me before I could even make my presence known.

His eyes traveled over my body. Twice. The first time, he was clearly checking to make sure I was all right, and then the second time, his gaze went slower, lingering on my exposed shoulders, arms, and my neck.

I held back a shudder at the warmth in his eyes when they returned to my face and locked him with a steely, ice-cold glare.

Maya’s eyes darted between the two of us, her arms falling to her sides, her hair bouncing with each switch of her head. Wes’s lip curled into a smile, and then he glanced at Maya. They engaged in a silent battle of wills, and then Maya flinched a bit.

“Right, well, I’m going to go get the groceries we need. I’ll see you later, Haven!”

“Wait, what?” I asked.

My hand reached out to grab her as she passed, but she sidestepped me and kept walking like she had a fire under her ass.

“Maya!” I called after her, but she just threw a little wave at me over her shoulder without looking back.

And that’s how I found myself alone with Wesley Stone. Wesley fucking Stone.

I stood there as he stared down at me, his gaze intense and burning into me. But I stared right back. He did not intimidate me.

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